February 3, 2016

At a town hall event in New Hampshire, presidential candidate John Kasich paid lip service to
growing a clean energy economy, despite having hindered the growth of
Ohio’s wind, solar and other renewable energy industries.

It’s no surprise he’s talking about the importance of clean
energy on the campaign trail—thousands of voters in Iowa and New Hampshire have
committed to voting on clean energy and a growing number of Ohioans are doing
the same. It’s time for Gov. Kasich to start leading by example and support
clean energy at home, not just touting empty rhetoric on the campaign trail.

“In Ohio, we are going to have development of solar and
wind,” Gov. Kasich said in New Hampshire. “If the legislature wants to gut it,
then I’m going to go back to the goal that we had, which was unpalatable,
because I’m not playing around with this.”

On June 13, 2014, Gov. Kasich signed a freeze on clean energy
mandates into law. By slowing the growth of clean energy in the state,
this bill had far reaching negative consequences to the environment and the economic
prosperity of Ohio. The freeze is set to expire at the end of this year and
leaders from across the Buckeye State are calling for clean energy solutions.

“As a business owner in Ohio who works in the clean energy
sector, I’ve had the rug pulled out from under me by Ohio’s freeze on the
renewable energy standards,” Alan Frasz, president of Dovetail Solar and Wind
in Cleveland, said. “We were moving toward energy independence in Ohio, but
with the dismantling of the renewable energy standards by Gov. Kasich and the
legislature, many of those job opportunities have vanished.”

“For the past year, our Ohio legislature has sat back and
ignored the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor. They have put a deep
freeze on our children’s future by neglecting to act on climate change,” Rev. Dr.
Tim Aherns of First Congregational Church in Columbus said. “Our state leaders
can no longer hide behind political excuses to perpetuate this moral failure.
Gov. Kasich must stand firm on his recent recognition that Ohio is ready for
renewables. We are counting on him to lead the charge.”

According to a recent study released by Policy Matters Ohio and NextGen Climate America, in partnership
with Green for All and Ohio Partners for Affordable Energy, Ohio’s 2014 freeze
on energy efficiency standards reduced weatherization efforts by 26
percent—costing Ohio families more on their electricity bills, causing more
reliance on payment-assistance plans and creating fewer job
opportunities in Ohio’s clean energy economy.